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Better Than Ezra

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Better Than Ezra

Better Than Ezra is an American alternative rock trio based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band was formed in 1987 by Kevin Griffin while he and the other original members were attending college at Louisiana State University. By 1988 Better Than Ezra had released a demo cassette tape, Chime Street Studio Demo Tape. In 1989 the band released a cassette-only album, Surprise. They released their first nationally-distributed album Deluxe in 1993 (Swell Records / 1995 Elektra). It was released on 2 different labels, the independent Swell Records first, in 1993, and later national label Elektra Records, in 1995. That same year, "Good" became a major pop hit, reaching the #1 position on the Billboard chart. Subsequent album releases include Friction, Baby (Elektra, 1996), How Does Your Garden Grow? (Elektra, 1998), and Closer, (Beyond Records, 2001). The band also released the B-Sides and rarities collection Artifakt on its own "Ezra Dry Goods/Fudge" label in 2000. In late 2004, the band simultaneously released an official live concert DVD, as well as an official live album, both entitled Live at the House of Blues New Orleans (Sanctuary Records). Recent releases include a Greatest Hits collection (Warner Brothers, March 15 2005), and an album entitled Before the Robots (Artemis Records, May 31 2005.)

In addition to vocalist and guitarist Kevin Griffin from Monroe, Louisiana, the current members of Better Than Ezra are bass guitar player Tom Drummond and drummer Travis McNabb. Original drummer, Cary Bonnecaze, left the band after the release of Deluxe. Original lead guitarist, Joel Rundell, committed suicide in 1990. The band does not disclose the origins of its name.

In 2005, Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry used the band's song "Juicy" as the background music for the second season of the show's promotional advertisement. The song "Juicy" has also been heard in the background in commercials for Applebee's restaurants.


Discography

Year Title Label Other information
1988 Chime Street Studio Demo Tape Swell Records Released on cassette only
1989 Surprise Swell Records Released on cassette only
1993 Deluxe Swell Records (1993)
Elektra Records (1995) 		Debut album
1993 Empire Records A&M Records featured track: "Circle of Friends"  
1996 Friction, Baby Elektra Records  
1998 The X-Files: The Album Elektra / Wea featured track: "One More Murder"  
1998 How Does Your Garden Grow? Elektra Records  
2000 artifakt Fudge Records Collection of previously unreleased rarities
2001 Closer Beyond Music  
2004 Live at the House of Blues New Orleans - Audio CD Sanctuary Records Live album
2004 Live at the House of Blues New Orleans - DVD Sanctuary Records Live album
2005 Greatest Hits Rhino Records Second compilation album
2005 Before the Robots Artemis Records Follow-up to Closer

Hit singles

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